A Bolt Christmas
by Atren Graves
Summary: Bolt, Mittens, Rhino, Penny, and...Penny's mom...Spend a Happy Christmas together. Same world as my other fics, so a tiny bit of Bolt/Mittens fluff. Tiny bit. Really, it is.


Okay! By fairly decently popular demand, A Bolt Holiday fic! Takes place after my other three, but doesn't require any knowledge of it. Usual disclaimers apply, I own nothing but the plot. Um...Yea, That's it. Author's notes done, I give you, A Bolt Christmas.

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"…And there'll be presents, and food, and the tree will be decorated and lit up…"

"Bolt…"

"And then some guy named Santa come out of the fireplace and leaves _more _presents…"

"_Bolt_…"

"And we all get up and have breakfast while opening _them_, along with the stockings she kept talking about…"

"Bolt!"

The German shepherd was jolted out of his ramblings and looked confusedly at the cat sitting in front of him. "Umm, Yea Mittens?"

"Would it bother you too much to…oh, I dunno…_stop_ talking for a minute?"

Bolt's ears drooped slightly. "I'm just happy about Christmas…"

"But you don't need to keep telling me. I already know what it is." Mittens looked around at the bare tree. "Besides. Its weeks away."

"Well, I know that…"

Mittens chuckled. "Listen, Bolt. A little patience is all I'm askin' here. Maybe calm down a bit."

Bolt nodded, his ears perking up again. "I can do that." He sat up straight, absolutely still. His tail twitched slightly a second later. His ear swiveled slightly. He glanced to the side and shifted a bit, almost shivering.

Mittens' expression was bland as she watched him. "Go ahead."

Bolt's mouth dropped open in a doggy grin. "And _then_ there's going to be Christmas movies on the box, and we're going to watch them…"

Mittens' sighed as Bolt continued to talk, trying her best to pay attention and smile.

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"Move it psycho." Mittens pushed Rhino's ball to the side, taking her customary spot on the couch. Rhino grumbled something about her being an evil fiend, yada yada. Nothing new.

She purred as she felt Bolt's heavy breathing on her head, and turned to look at him out of the corner of her eye. "Heya Bolt. Nice walk?"

Bolt nodded and lay down in his spot, Penny not far behind him. Mittens waited patiently while the girl ruffled her ears, then looked back at Bolt.

"We ran around for awhile." Bolt proclaimed with a smile.

"Glad to see you're working off that energy." Mittens wrapped her tail around her paws and turned back to the T.V as Penny flipped it on.

It was a good tradition. Just sort of hanging out. A family.

That didn't stop Mittens from rolling her eyes when Penny changed the channel. "Yeesh, already the Christmas movies. There's a whole two weeks left…"

"Shh!"

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"Bolt…" Mittens tone was warning.

"Ah, come on Mittens…"

"No. No no no no no no no. Not happening."

"Well, I think you'll notice I've got you cornered. And Penny will be along any time."

"…I'll get you for this."

Bolt just grinned, as Penny walked in with a smile. "Come on Mittens. Family picture!"

Mittens' eyes widened as the person approached her with the sickeningly red and green bundle of fabric.

Twenty minutes later, Mittens was sitting on the couch, a severely irritated look on her face. "I can't believe you made me dress up like an elf. What kind of _sick_ person dresses their pet anyway!?"

"Come on Mittens. Don't be such a spoilsport." Bolt nudged her slightly, his Santa hat tipping over one eye.

"Oh, this comin' from jolly old saint woof? Traitor."

Bolt grinned and Penny rushed over suddenly, taking her position before the camera snapped.

Mittens pulled a paw down over her face, blinking away the flashing lights dancing before her eyes. "I can't believe there's going to be another whole week of this."

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Mittens sighed, watching the sun set from her perch on the fencepost. Her ear swiveled back, and she turned her head as she heard footsteps approaching.

"Hi Mittens." Bolt said quietly, padding up to sit just in front to the fence. "How're you feeling?"

Mittens shrugged slightly, looking back at the sky. "Okay. I guess."

Bolt was quiet for a bit, then looked up. "Why don't you like Christmas?"

"What? Why would you think…" Mittens cut off. Bolt had that serious expression on his face, the one that made it nearly impossible to lie to him. "All right. I don't _love_ Christmas. It's all just people getting what they want. A bike, a new T.V, shoes, toys, a new cat…" She trailed off again.

Bolt's expression softened. "A new cat?"

Mittens shuffled, turning her head. "Well, you know, sometimes a kid'll start to get bored with their pet. Want a new one. And sometimes, they get it."

Bolt sighed. "That's how it happened, isn't it?"

Mittens nodded.

"So you're going to let that spoil your Christmas spirit?"

"…"

Bolt cocked an ear. "Sorry, what?"

Mittens mumbled again.

"One more time? I didn't quite hear you."

"No." Mittens said quietly through gritted teeth.

Bolt nodded, smiling. "Good. Now come on. Penny's going to be looking for us in a bit."

Mittens sighed and hopped off the fence post, waiting for Bolt. "Yea, wouldn't want her to think we'd run off." She rubbed affectionately against the dog's side, showing him a small smile. "Let's go."

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Mittens purred as Penny scratched her ears, and she shifted slightly in the girl's lap.

Bolt sat on the floor next to Rhino, eyes glued to the T.V, a Christmas special playing. Penny's mom sat next to her daughter on the couch, smiling.

Around them, gifts lay unwrapped, to be saved for later. Now was a time for family. A time to just be together.

Mittens smiled. Maybe Christmas wasn't so bad after all.

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And there you go. I hope you all like it. I will probably not continue this series...unless I have a really awesome idea...Maybe I could...Ah, but no spoilers right now. I hope you all enjoyed it, and find it in your hearts to click that little button down there to tell me what you think. Until next time!


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